The third-ranked Georgia women’s tennis team (9-1, 3-0) was dominant in its conference home opener, defeating No. 46 Alabama (4-7, 0-3) by a 6-1 tally on Friday night at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
 
 
In Georgia’s first home match since Jan. 30, the Bulldogs cruised from start to finish. Alabama did not win more than two games in any doubles match, and Georgia then claimed wins in five of six singles matches with sophomores Kennedy Shaffer (10-0) and Mariana Gould (6-0) remaining perfect on the season. Shaffer has a singles win in all 10 dual matches this spring.
 
 
“It was a great match,” said Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace. “It’s fun to be at home. Playing here at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, there’s always a great crowd. It was awesome. I thought our players really did a great job. Our doubles got off to great starts, and our players rolled through the doubles point which set the tone for the night.”
 
 
The Bulldogs breezed through the doubles matches, claiming commanding 5-2 leads on the first and third courts and a 5-1 lead on the second court. In the race to finish, the No. 28 pair of Ellen Perez and Gould finished first with a 6-2 win, and they were followed minutes later by the 71^st-ranked pair ofCaroline Brinson and Silvia Garcia, who won 6-1.
 
 
The Bulldogs started strong in singles play as Shaffer and Laura Patterson finished their matches within minutes of each other. Shaffer, ranked 78^th, breezed to a 6-2, 6-0 victory on the third court to improve her record on the year to 10-0. Patterson also was dominant in her win, finishing off her opponent 6-1, 6-2 to give Georgia a sizable 3-0 lead.
 
 
Perez then clinched the match for the Bulldogs, taking the final three games of the second set to win 6-3, 6-4 and snap Georgia’s two-match losing streak to Alabama.
 
 
Gould improved to 6-0 on the year with a 7-6, 6-3 on the fifth court to boost Georgia’s lead to 5-0. Brinson then fell in a super-tiebreak-abbreviated third set, but Garcia closed out the match for the Bulldogs with a 7-6, 6-3 victory to produce the 6-1 final score.
 
 
The Bulldogs will return to the match courts on Sunday at 1 p.m. as they welcome No. 11 Auburn.
 
 
For all the latest on Georgia women’s tennis, follow the team on Twitter (@UgaWomensTennis), Instagram (@ugawomenstennis) and on Facebook (Georgia Women’s Tennis), and keep checking in to georgiadogs.com.
 
 

MATCH RESULTS

No. 3 Georgia (9-1, 3-0) defeats No. 46 Alabama (4-7, 0-3) 6-1

Order of Finish:

Doubles (1,2);

Singles (3,6,1,5,2,4)

 
 
Doubles
 

1. #28 Perez/Gould (UGA) def. #32 Daniell/Routliffe (UA) 6-2
2. #71 Brinson/Garcia (UGA) def. Spielmann/Greene (UA) 6-1
3. Shaffer/Patterson (UGA) vs. Maynetto/Nena Savva (UA), 5-2, unfinished

 
 
Singles
 

1. #10 Ellen Perez (UGA) def. #31 Andie Daniell (UA) 6-3, 6-4
2. #85 Erin Routliffe (UA) def. #22 Caroline Brinson (UGA) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0(10-6)
3. #78 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) def. Natalia Maynetto (UA), 6-2, 6-0
4. #75 Silvia Garcia (UGA) def. Joanna Nena Savva (UA), 7-6(7-5), 6-3
5. Mariana Gould (UGA) def. Danielle Spielman (UA), 7-6(7-1), 6-3
6. Laura Patterson (UGA) def. Aryn Greene (UA), 6-1, 6-2